In Belarus, Maria Kalesnikava has been held in solitary confinement for a year.
One of the opposition leaders in Belarus, Maria Kalesnikava, has been kept in solitary confinement for a year, in complete isolation. The Belarusian service of Radio Liberty writes about this with reference to a source.
Kolesnikova's relatives received their last letter from her on February 15, 2023. The Belarusian authorities do not inform her relatives about her. It is only known that after the verdict in September 2021, Kalesnikava was sent to the Homel women's colony No. 4, where she was immediately placed in a punishment cell.
According to the source, Kolesnikova is in solitary confinement in the PKT - a cell-type room. "According to the law, the maximum period of stay in the FKT is six months. Therefore, she was transferred to a punishment cell for a few days - and from there she was again sent to the PKT," he said.
In the punishment cell, prisoners are not provided with a mattress, pillow, blanket, bed linen or outerwear. According to the interlocutor of the publication, recently released from the Homel women's colony, Kalesnikava was in the punishment cell only in a T-shirt, leggings and a uniform. She had to sleep on bare boards. "The cold and humidity make my joints hurt," she said.
In September 2021, the Minsk Regional Court sentenced Kalesnikava to 11 years in prison, finding her guilty of conspiracy to seize power, calls that threaten national security, and creating an extremist formation. Human rights organizations consider Kolesnikova a political prisoner, and her release was demanded by leading world politicians.
At the end of 2022, Kalesnikava underwent emergency surgery at the Homel Emergency Hospital, where she was sent with a perforated ulcer. Soon after, she was allowed to see her father, which lasted 10 minutes and was supervised by a doctor and prison staff. After that, there was no information about Kolesnikova.
Kalesnikava's health problems continue to this day: "First of all, the operation did not go unnoticed. She lost a lot of weight. She had a few colds. She had high blood pressure, but they refused to give her medicine," the source said.
In his complaints about the denial of access to Kolesnikova, Kolesnikova's lawyer indicated his fears for her health. There was no response to complaints and appeals from law enforcement agencies.
Source
@freerussia_report
